章節 240: Chapter 240: Ambitious Motorola
When European-developed launch rockets succeeded, launching satellites became less expensive. Both NBC and other TV stations started working on their satellite television.
As for another application, many big players were eyeing it. The most aggressive company, naturally, was Motorola. Based on the current information, their plan could genuinely be called "Star Wars."
"Sir, William White seems to have declined."
"Hehe, the Galvin family must be out of their minds. How could you manage such a grand plan all by yourself?"
What concerned the big players was different from William White's concerns. Funding wasn't really a problem; this so-called Iridium Project had a good chance of being realized.
Most importantly, you didn't need to launch hundreds of satellites to make it work. If it was just North America and Europe, a few dozen low-orbit satellites would suffice. This was much more reliable compared to cell phones.
Just like the TV stations' satellites, once you have a few, there's no need for signal towers. Achieving global signal coverage was not an issue at all.
However, communications were a different beast. With this capability, who needed to lay down a communications network anymore? Even the most remote places could be covered.
But who would guarantee the security of this communication system? With satellite phones, you still needed ground stations. How would ownership of these receiving stations be determined? Globalization? You couldn't even handle North America alone.
If you couldn't keep the plan going, no one would bother with you. But if you succeeded, then, haha, anti-trust issues would come up.
At that point, you'd split into dozens of companies, making it pointless.
You needn't mention the present state; in the future, satellite phones weren't promoted widely even though they became about the same size as cell phones.
The telecommunications industry was not like the entertainment industry. Except for the United States, every nation would keep it firmly in their hands, as it was a core interest that mustn't be touched.
As for why the U.S. was an exception, hehe, they had gone off the rails a bit. A perfectly good company looked like it would start splitting apart.
Even though William White explicitly refused, Motorola didn't give up. Those guys had bold imaginations to think of such a grand plan.
...
The ones most worried were indeed the Soviets. They didn't believe it was just for making phone calls.
Come on, it was absurd. Didn't the Americans have the money to lay telephone lines? We had them set up here, and you were telling me they still needed satellites?
Hmm, trying to fool us, aren't you? Wasn't this just a supplement to the Star Wars plan? The Americans were too cunning.
It's not surprising the Soviets thought this way. After all, the U.S. Army's walkie-talkies were from Motorola, a primary military supplier to the U.S. How could they engage in civilian telephony?
Discovering the American scheme, the Soviets were delighted. They decided to down some vodka first and then consider how to sabotage the plan.
...
"Sir, are you sure you don't want to be a part of this plan?"
"Hehe, Filson, I won't lie; the plan is attractive, and I have enough capital to take the lead. Plus, Motorola wouldn't mind. Can you believe it? They definitely prefer selling telecom terminals rather than managing the call business."
"Yes, I thought about what you said, and it matches your reasoning. It's just..."
"Just wondering why not invest, right? Let me ask you, which country would abandon its telecommunications company? And which country would allow you to set up a bunch of ground receiving stations? That's the biggest flaw in the plan. If you don't do well, you might get support, but if you develop nicely, you'll face challenges. Hehe, since it's a plan destined not to succeed, why partake?"
Filson found himself speechless. His boss was accused of monopoly even for selling some game consoles. If it weren't for Marvel, they might have said he monopolized comics, too.
The telecom industry was different; a giant was being broken up for the same monopoly reason. Though the excuse was flimsy, conglomerates could leverage it against you.
Filson turned to find a tricky problem: several of William's enterprises, including TV media, were industry leaders.
Alright, given the poor relations with the conglomerates, it was just a matter of time before they clashed. If they achieved an advantageous position in telecommunications, they'd have nothing to do but deal with the Justice Department day in, day out.
"Do you understand now?"
"Yes, sir, but why risk sticking your hand in?"
"Hehe, you're talking about Bell Labs?"
"Yes, even though they're not that concerned about this asset."
"Technology is crucial. It's the same as science -- both drive human progress. Bell Labs has both."
"But sir, they wouldn't agree for you to own the patents alone."
"Hehe, the already invented ones are off-limits, of course. But what about those yet to be researched? Do they want those too?"
"I understand. I'll focus on those aspects during negotiations."
"Filson, people are crucial. Don't bring me an empty shell. It's pointless."
"Got it, sir."
...
Luck was on Motorola's side when the European Space Agency soon supported them. They expressed that launch fees were no problem. For such low orbit satellites, at least four or five could be launched at once.
Seeing others snatching business, the American space center wasn't having it either. They claimed to be very affordable, saying it would be easy to toss up a couple while launching a space shuttle.
Many companies, including NBC, ridiculed them. "Yeah right, if only we could believe you. Why aren't our satellite launches cheaper? If you're so capable, throw a couple then."
There was not much leeway for bargaining in this monopolistic business. If your relations were off, they wouldn't bother with you. It seemed like cooperating more with Europeans would be better; prices were significantly cheaper.
Lying at home calculating secretly, Motorola was surprised to find their costs drastically reduced. This was fantastic.
William White? Hmph, don't think I don't know. You're just trying to mimic chip companies' strategies. But how can you be the leading star?
Some folks were truly hard to fathom. You're just a businessman. As long as the project makes money, isn't that enough? Was controlling a company from top to bottom truly necessary?
Just ridiculous.
The Japanese were much more pragmatic. Ricoh played a pretty good role. As long as your order volume was adequate, there was no need to worry about production. They always delivered on time.
In the end, like history, Motorola jumped into a big pit with great resolve. William White knew that this venture might swallow up all of Motorola's future earnings for quite some time.
With such a public-spirited act, no wonder the Soviets suspected it was a complement to the Star Wars plan.
Hehe, two fools.
*****
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